‘Tracy Chapman’ by Tracy Chapman; ‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon (*how* did neither of these make the list…??!) and something folky - ‘Little Lights’ by Kate Rusby…💜
I love her so much - her voice is like butter and summer warmth and soothes me when I need it to. Glad to be in the company of such esteemed fans here…x
I decided not to look at the Apple list. As an aging boomer, I remember when Albums were the dominant music format, they were a coherent creation. Then came MTV and videos, now it's streaming songs. All have their place. But when I was in college, we didn't have playlists, someone in the dorm with good speakers would put Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or Grateful Dead's "American Beauty" on the turntable, and play from one end to the other.
This is my favorite album list, the NPR 150 greatest women's albums, curated by the wise Ann Powers and her colleagues:
The fun of these lists is the conversations it can spark about how and why it’s inevitably wrong/crime against art /exclusionary etc.
As much as the challenge of naming 3 albums pains me into holding back from disclaimers of how I’d change my mind every 15-30 seconds as threads of different memories of moments, moods and meanings spring to mind, like most things it’s the process of playing with putting my attention on it that is pleasurable!
And thank you for the prompt because the main thing it reminds me of is how I miss getting fully emerged in actual whole albums, so I’m off to listen to 9-12 tracks from a single artist at a time, as well as checking out other people’s favourites 😊
I've been a music writer off and on since the earliest part of my journalism career (I reviewed albums by Queensryche and Guns N' Roses for my high school newspaper!), and I always look through these rankled lists with morbid fascination. They're always controversial because our relationships to music are so personal. They attempt to recognize artistic merit or musicianship but almost unfailingly reward Eurocentric white cis male musicianship over other forms and flavors. (And don't get me started on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is full of such problems.) This list seems to have dodged that issue somewhat, but necessarily leaves so much out.
One thing that bothers me a lot is people talking about the 'worst' songs, or making fun of specific bands or songs (Creed, Nickelback, you name it). Your 'worst' song is someone's favorite, a song that maybe even changed or saved their life. Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves, you know?
Anyway, here are a few albums I love that aren't on that list:
Sleep Token, "Take Me Back to Eden"
Alcest, "Spiritual Instinct"
Florence and the Machine, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful"
I'm with Faye Davidson - my "Top Three Albums" list changes all the time ... from day to day and even morning to afternoon depending on my mood. I also rarely listen to an album all the way through, so I don't really think about music favorites that way. I tend to think more about artists or songs. That said, here are the three that jump to mind at the moment:
- "Graceland" by Paul Simon
- "The Tipping Point" by Tears for Fears
- "Spell Songs" (multiple artists)
Loved reading everyone else's picks, and tickled to see "Graceland" come up so often!
I mean 99% of what I listen too isn’t on there. But there is so much music to choose from.
So albums, actual, albums listened to from track 1-12 (or however many they put on nowadays)
Travis - The invisible Band
Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
Snowpatrol - Eyes Open
But there are also so many notables missing from that list and many I would never have put in. For an 80s girl I just never got Madonna. I would have chosen A Kick Inside for Kate Bush. No Queen, TWO Stevie Wonders is excessive (I can barely get through one song), bugger all folk - where’s Steeleye Span, Silly Sisters, Harry Chapin, Leonard Cohen? and no classical/musical theatre at all? (it doesn’t call them the greatest pop albums, just the greatest albums) and yes, that’s why I agree. We shouldn’t rank music this way.
I don’t think I could ever choose a top three— my taste in music can change a dozen times in one day and I’m rarely part of the mainstream so my discoveries can be years out of date at times— my kids sometimes send me playlists just to keep new music on my radar. Paul Simon, Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Snow, Norah Jones, Leonard Cohen, Jack Johnson would all be in there, but so would so many other and composers from all genres. But I appreciate having this collection of some new names to check out and some other old favorites to revisit!
‘Tracy Chapman’ by Tracy Chapman; ‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon (*how* did neither of these make the list…??!) and something folky - ‘Little Lights’ by Kate Rusby…💜
Yes! I grew up on Tracy Chapman! So good.
I love Rusby and hadn't listened to her in a while. Thank you for reminding me.
LOVE Kate Rusby
I love her so much - her voice is like butter and summer warmth and soothes me when I need it to. Glad to be in the company of such esteemed fans here…x
I decided not to look at the Apple list. As an aging boomer, I remember when Albums were the dominant music format, they were a coherent creation. Then came MTV and videos, now it's streaming songs. All have their place. But when I was in college, we didn't have playlists, someone in the dorm with good speakers would put Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or Grateful Dead's "American Beauty" on the turntable, and play from one end to the other.
This is my favorite album list, the NPR 150 greatest women's albums, curated by the wise Ann Powers and her colleagues:
https://www.npr.org/2017/07/24/538387823/turning-the-tables-150-greatest-albums-made-by-women
I was the one in our dorm with the great stereo so you can imagine my popularity.
Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
First of a million kisses - Fairground Attraction
Oh, inverted world - The Shins
And I would have added Graceland too!
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea by P J Harvey
Welcome to the Pleasuredome by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
The Take Off and Landing of Everything by Elbow
Excellent choices
I wish I knew how it feels to be free - Nina Simone
Aint that love - Ray Charles
Ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive - Aretha Franklin
Bird on a Wire - Joe Cocker (live)
So hard to pick just three! But these four are church to me.
Aah I love your phasing there: ‘like church to me’
The fun of these lists is the conversations it can spark about how and why it’s inevitably wrong/crime against art /exclusionary etc.
As much as the challenge of naming 3 albums pains me into holding back from disclaimers of how I’d change my mind every 15-30 seconds as threads of different memories of moments, moods and meanings spring to mind, like most things it’s the process of playing with putting my attention on it that is pleasurable!
And thank you for the prompt because the main thing it reminds me of is how I miss getting fully emerged in actual whole albums, so I’m off to listen to 9-12 tracks from a single artist at a time, as well as checking out other people’s favourites 😊
My favourites change all the time too. I should have employed that disclaimer.
Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea - PJ Harvey
Hunky Dory - Bowie
No More Shall We Part - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Deep forest by Deep forest
Under one roof, by hunters and collectors (live album)
In between dreams by Jack Johnson
Love, love, love In Between Dreams! 🍌🥞🥰
I've been a music writer off and on since the earliest part of my journalism career (I reviewed albums by Queensryche and Guns N' Roses for my high school newspaper!), and I always look through these rankled lists with morbid fascination. They're always controversial because our relationships to music are so personal. They attempt to recognize artistic merit or musicianship but almost unfailingly reward Eurocentric white cis male musicianship over other forms and flavors. (And don't get me started on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is full of such problems.) This list seems to have dodged that issue somewhat, but necessarily leaves so much out.
One thing that bothers me a lot is people talking about the 'worst' songs, or making fun of specific bands or songs (Creed, Nickelback, you name it). Your 'worst' song is someone's favorite, a song that maybe even changed or saved their life. Let the soft animal of your body love what it loves, you know?
Anyway, here are a few albums I love that aren't on that list:
Sleep Token, "Take Me Back to Eden"
Alcest, "Spiritual Instinct"
Florence and the Machine, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful"
Myrkur, "Folkesange"
Hozier, "Unreal Unearth"
Patrick Wolf, "Wind in the Wires"
Emma Ruth Rundle, "Marked for Death"
Type O Negative, "October Rust"
I'm with Faye Davidson - my "Top Three Albums" list changes all the time ... from day to day and even morning to afternoon depending on my mood. I also rarely listen to an album all the way through, so I don't really think about music favorites that way. I tend to think more about artists or songs. That said, here are the three that jump to mind at the moment:
- "Graceland" by Paul Simon
- "The Tipping Point" by Tears for Fears
- "Spell Songs" (multiple artists)
Loved reading everyone else's picks, and tickled to see "Graceland" come up so often!
I saw this advertised on Apple Music and haven’t looked at yet. Like you say, music is so personal and why do we have to rank everything! Argh.
But… if I were to share three albums (hopefully, compilations count) that I love and listen to often are:
Zero 7 - Simple Things
Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits
Whitney Houston - Greatest Hits
I mean 99% of what I listen too isn’t on there. But there is so much music to choose from.
So albums, actual, albums listened to from track 1-12 (or however many they put on nowadays)
Travis - The invisible Band
Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
Snowpatrol - Eyes Open
But there are also so many notables missing from that list and many I would never have put in. For an 80s girl I just never got Madonna. I would have chosen A Kick Inside for Kate Bush. No Queen, TWO Stevie Wonders is excessive (I can barely get through one song), bugger all folk - where’s Steeleye Span, Silly Sisters, Harry Chapin, Leonard Cohen? and no classical/musical theatre at all? (it doesn’t call them the greatest pop albums, just the greatest albums) and yes, that’s why I agree. We shouldn’t rank music this way.
Let it bleed- The Rolling Stones
Debut- Bjork
Welcome to the Beautiful South- The Beautiful South
Pj Harvey -stories from… was going to be in there but clearly I’m in good company ☺️
I think we basically all agree that PJ Harvey should have been in that list!!
Sadly I don’t even know who P J Harvey is.
Beautiful South. 🥰
This definitely created some fun and interesting conversations this morning over coffee!
The ones that were missing for me were:
Folklore by Taylor Swift (I was happy to see Taylor Swift’s 1989 on there as it’s a fabulous album but Folklore just meant so much more to me)
Come Away with Me by Norah Jones (I was shocked that this didn’t make the cut but I was happy to see that at least Sade did)
In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson (which I was very happy to see that someone else chose too! 🍌🥞)
Love seeing the variety of the responses--mine would be:
Blue, Joni Mitchell
Quiet is the new loud, Kings of Convenience
Pink Moon, Nick Drake
but sooooo hard to only leave it to three! :)
Blue is on the Apple list, which is such a nice surprise!
i saw that too—but damn it’s so epic. 💜
I don’t think I could ever choose a top three— my taste in music can change a dozen times in one day and I’m rarely part of the mainstream so my discoveries can be years out of date at times— my kids sometimes send me playlists just to keep new music on my radar. Paul Simon, Tracy Chapman, Phoebe Snow, Norah Jones, Leonard Cohen, Jack Johnson would all be in there, but so would so many other and composers from all genres. But I appreciate having this collection of some new names to check out and some other old favorites to revisit!